US public support for Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has been declining as the days and weeks roll on, while most Americans think Israel should consider a ceasefire to not worsen the humanitarian crisis in the strip.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll this week, some 32% of the respondents said that the US should "support Israel" when asked what role the US should take in the fighting. The figure was down from 41% in a similar poll conducted on October 12 to 13.
Meanwhile, the percentage saying the US should be a "neutral moderator" rose to 39% in the latest poll from last month's 27%.
The latest poll also showed that 4% of Americans said the US should support the Palestinian cause instead of the Israelis, while 15% said the US should not be involved at all. Both figures were similar to last month's poll.
The poll also found that more than 40 Americans were more willing to support Ukraine by sending them weapons against Russian aggression, while less than a third backed weapons for Israel.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll questioned about 1,000 people online this month and had a magin of error of 4 percentage points.
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Factors Affecting Decreased Support for Israel
The Hill reported that the drop in public support for Israel was most apparent among older residents after weeks of relentless airstrikes and a ground campaign in Gaza by the Israel Defense Force (IDF), which drew criticism from much of the international community.
Smoke rises during an Israeli military bombardment of the northern Gaza Strip on November 15, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Thousands of civilians, both Palestinians and Israelis, have died since October 7, 2023, after Palestinian Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip entered southern Israel in an unprecedented attack triggering a war declared by Israel on Hamas with retaliatory bombings on Gaza.
According to the Hamas-controlled Gazan health ministry, over 11,000 Palestinians - including 4,600 children, have died in the war as of last week, prompting international humanitarian organizations like the United Nations to call for a ceasefire.
While four-hour humanitarian pauses were ensured to allow civilians to flee Gaza, Israeli authorities have refused any calls for a ceasefire.
Despite this, nearly 70% of Americans said the Israeli government should pursue a ceasefire, including three out of four Democrats and half of Republicans participating in the poll.
Marist Poll Suggests Similar Sentiments
Meanwhile, a recent Marist poll found a larger proportion of Americans disapproving Israel's military strategy in Gaza, saying that it has gone "too far."
The poll found that 38% of Americans believed Israel had gone "too far" in its response to the October 7 attacks, compared to 26% holding such a sentiment at the beginning of the war.
The Marist poll also observed a significant split among Democrat respondents. A 45% share of Democrats have the most sympathy for Israel, while another 45% said the same for Palestinians.
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